Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I'm just getting caught up and glad to hear you talked to your vet. Well, I agree, being more alert is probably better at this point than being completely stoned, because that's what it sounded like the issue was to me. You can always add pain meds back in slowly if he needs them, but of course talk to your vet first.
I hope today gets better and better. Hang in there.
Julie, have you watched our CARE videos? I highly recommend checking them out, like this one about post-amp recovery (it's toward the end of the interview):
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Good Afternoon,
Thanks for the video Jerry.
So, Brody has been laying down most the day but is def more responsive to my movements. He actually lifts his head and acknowledges me. He ate some steak pieces, cheese, 1/2 cheeseburger and some treats. He drank water too. When the UPS truck arrived he perked up and hopped to the door waiting for him. I let him go out. He was excited to see him, the ups man - not so much! haha I think he was scared Brody was gonna sick em! I let him in the front yard and he peed little bit. He tries to lift his leg but always looses his balance. Like, I said before we have a very unbalanced yard. Its hilly and full of garden beds with mulch so no level place to really go and do his business. He walked and peed the rest of the way which is fine with me. I just have to wipe him down cuz it gets all over his front leg. He laid some more and then he was wimpering so I got his lease and took him outside. He was very excited. I only walked around the cul de sac and he peed all over the street, walking and standing still. After he did that he seemed tire and a bit sore. He came in the house and had a little trouble laying down, wimpered again. He is resting now on the cold tile floor and is not panting but wimpering a bit, which he really hasn't done much of since the amp. I called the vet as she asked to fill her in. She is in surgery so I left a message with the tech. I think perhaps he is feeling a little bit of pain. His personality is def better. I will see what she says when she returns my call prob later this evening.
Julie 
I was just watching him as he's laying down. He is not panting or wimpering but he is trembling. I can see it in his amp and when he breaths. I can see a little twitching on his amp too, like a nerve. Is this normal? Does this reflect pain? Thanks
It sounds like he's doing really well overall. It's hard not to dote and be overly concerned but by being strong and acting as if everything is normal, it will be normal. Yes, he may be in a little bit of pain but if he's eating, drinking and otherwise mobile, sounds like he's doing alright to me. Again, take notes of his symptoms and present them to your vet so when you talk you can really pinpoint what's happening.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey Julie,
Funny! I posted almost that exact question when J was recovering too. I think I titled it as "stump contractions?". The feedback I got and the more Jackson and I spent together was that those contractions are normal. Nerves are dealing with their new normal. Nerves are firing at random times, too. A lot of those contractions could arguably be phantom limb pain. For Jackson, they never bothered him. His stump would twitch and bounce around, but he'd sleep through it. No problem. Problems happened when he bumped it. Nerves would fire and nothing would happen! PAIN! So I'd immediately run over to him and cup his stump - it'd give his nerves something to focus on. That clearly gave him a lot of relief. If Brody is bothered by his moving stump, try a gentle compress. See how it goes. If he's not bothered by the contractions, or his trembles, I would think he's OK. Trembling, in Brody's case here, may be a sign of drugs clearing his body. He was pretty doped up and now he's got some metabolic work to do. Your walking him was a great idea! You did it slowly and as long as he wanted. That increase in energy will help his body clear the meds. When he's up for it, take him for a little LITTLE walk - just like you did! Great job.
We'll be curious to hear what your vet says tonight. She might encourage (re)adding a med. OR, better yet, ask her what signs to look for so if at like 2am he's doing something weird, you know if that'd be a good time to slip him a tramadol.
~Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Yeah, Julie, that really is a much better update! You CAN see improvement on this up and down recovery period! And right nowit appears he's on the UPswing! Keep itmup Brody!!
I agree withntheothers, he may need ne of the pain meds reintroduced to take the whipering down a otch. Yoj are very dilogent and kowyour voh!
Okay, just called UPS man and they're gonna go visit him everyday to keep him happy! UPS man? Not so much!!
Brody, I doubt you'll be going back to dry kibble for awhile! STEAK AND VURGERS yummy!!
Let us now what the ver says when you can, o,ay? This is all starting to balamce out for Brody. He'll get thepee thing down...no worries. He's already figured out squatting gets the same result as lifting.....so why put forth the effort?
(((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))
Sally and Happy Hannah
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Surprise surprise. The vet didn't call back. Luckily for her Brody is going GREAT! Excuse my language but at dinner I was happier than a pig in ****. Brody was sitting up and begging for food! My heart melted. Aside from the little bit of trembling and wimpering earlier he has been great. Yes, he may not go back to dog food from awhile, but that's alright by me. So, this afternoon and evening he finished the cheeseburger. I actually put about 10 small pieces of steak in his bowl and he ate it FROM the bowl. Then I made a hotdog and put it in the bowl and he ate it FROM the bowl. My daughter gave him 2 of her chicken nugget and my husband gave him some of his pork. Brody was WELL fed today. Ok, so we may have overdone it a bit, but we are just happy to see that his appetite is back. He also went outside and peed on the patio again! YAH! My husband was just as excited as me to see him begging that he even gave him a frosty paw and he ate 1/2 by himself. We didn't have to hold it for him. YAH! He is sitting up when laying down. He is acknowledging us when we are in the room. Unfortunately, our town has had some car break ins lately, so my husband set up our driveway monitor tonight and it makes a really loud doorbell noise when it goes off. Well, Brody heard that and his hairs perked up and he wanted to go outside and see who it was. He even barked a little bit! Praying for continued progress for my buddy. I'd love to take him for another "little" walk tomorrow! Enjoying this beautiful weather. Good night and thank you all again for your support! It means so much to me!
Katy - thanks for the tips about the nerves. That's good to know if Brody ever bumps into anything!
Jerry - I have the best notes right here thanks to this wonderful board. But I will jot down the times that I notice his discomfort and anything out of the ordinary.
Sally - It would be nice if the UPS man came everyday!! He's usually a couple times a week for the neighbor and parks in from of our house. I need to get another visitor over pronto! I'll be making some calls tomorrow. Thanks for the HUGS! I have needed them....
Good night, Julie
Fantastic! That's the best thing I've heard all day! Yipeee!
Here's to an even better day tomorrow.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BEST NEWS!! GRINNING EAR TO EAR OVER HERE! SMILING SO BIG IT'S HURTING MY MUG!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAY for being happh as pig $&$%#
He looks wonderful in that photo! Look at that focus on the steak!! Ohhhhhh yeah, Brody ison the road to recovery!!
I'm so hapy I'm kinda getting choked up over here!! Had to stop eating m ice cream so I would 't splatter it all over the tavlet!
Okah Jule, keep these great updates AND photos coming! He's such a hadsome boy!
Love and lots more (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))
Sally and Happy Hannah
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
It's so exciting when you are all so excited for the good news. It too puts a BIG SMILE ON MY FACE!!!
Sorry for the late update.
Brody went outside this morning but only because I had to tug him out a bit. Once he got outside he peed and pooped. He laid around today but I got a lot of wagging tails! He got cheese, doggie treats (which are chewy and look like little filets), the rest of the steak (about 10-12 small pieces), 6 chicken nuggets and then a milkbone (that's the closest thing to DOG food that he's had in 2 weeks).
The vet called to check on him this am and I told him that he was doing well, just wimpered a few times yesterday when laying down but I didn't notice any withdraw symptoms. The tech said that the vet wanted me to bring him in tomorrow just to take a look at him, so I am taking tomorrow morning. The only thing that stinks is that she is doing surgeries all day so she will check him out in between and I have to leave him there until later in the afternoon 
Luckily I don't have to take in early so I can do once kids are at school and hubby can help me get him in the truck.
So tonight he heard the driveway monitor buzz and when the kids and I got out of the car he was outside waiting for us. He was happy! I asked my husband if he had peed and he said he just came out. Once we got inside he wanted to follow but I knew he had "business" to do so I shut the door so he couldn't go insdie! Then we went down 3 steps WOO HOO on the patio. He still tries to lift his leg but is unbalanced so he walks and goes which is ok with me. Then he moved around a lot to poop! He did have a mushy solid poop but some was runny as well. I don't know if that is because he is eating HUMAN food which he never eats so it different for him to digest. I will tell the vet tomorrow when I dropped him off!
Our yard is hilly so when he came back in he was exhausted and he wimpered a bit laying down. He seemed hungry when I was preparing our dinner but I needed to boil some rice and when I prepared his meal - rice and rotisserie chicken he wasn't interested. Though when I fed a piece from my fork he ate it. I think he is honestly too tired to stand at the bowl and eat it. Our yard is difficult and a lot of work for him!
I will let you know how to tomorrow goes. I think he is doing well and like I've been told - its a lot of ups and downs. I also have to remember that he is 10yr old, no spring chicken! When I think about what his normal day was like prior to amp, he is doing exactly the same thing! The only difference is that on a nice day I would leave him outside and he would sleep on the patio and run around chasing his hard ball.... So he really is doing what he does best!
Except for going outside more frequently.
He is supposed to get his staples out on Monday because apparently the vet was on vaca but I am going tomorrow which is exactly 2 weeks, so if I am making the trip in and he is there, they ARE going to take them out tomorrow!!!!!
Until we chat again!
Julie
OMG just saw the tripawd warrior princess power picture on the main page and I LOVE IT! That's awesome!
Hey Julie and Brody,
I've been swamped at work and haven't been able to respond until now. I'm SO excited that he's better! Tail wagging and emotion is awesome! You'll see more sparkle come back with those staples out. Stitches and staple removal is a wonderful thing. He's doing great! I'd say looser poos are due to human foods and drug detox. Try to get him back on his normal foods sooner rather than later so you have a gauge. Don't forget to back him down on quantity. For reference, Jackson got 1 cup of kibble AM and PM. Now he gets 3/4 cup AM and PM. The drop in quantity is because he's a little less active and b/c his fish oil is so caloric. He's a fairly lean guy anyway, so 60lbs is right where we want to stay.
A fun way to get Brody's muscles working is to put him on the couch and have him walk on the cushions. It's unstable and will work him! That'll help him conquer the backyard, too. Take it easy, take it slow, and only do it when he wants and is able.
Good luck tomorrow. Keep us posted!
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Katy - that's a great idea about the couch. Maybe if they take his staples out tomorrow then I will flip the cushions back up so he can try to get in his "favorite spot" to lay! Although since his amp his "new" favorite spot is under the kitchen table. The good thing about that is that I only keep 3 chairs there so he has room and i can vacuum daily since he sheds so much. Bad news the extra chairs are sitting in the middle of the kitchen! I was just chatting about how I cant wait to give him a shower but then remembered both showers are up and downstairs which is 15 steps either way! I am not ready to conquer that but I know Brody misses his bedroom upstairs where he looks out the window and lays in bed! I long for him to have that again.....
Brody has never been a dog to eat at as scheduled time. Our 1st boxer ate all his food as soon as we put in the bowl am and pm, but not Brody. We fill the bowl every morning and he picks and chooses when he wants to eat it! He did eat a milkbone today which is the closest thing he's had to real dog food. I will try to re-introduce dog food again! I can't keep preparing him steak, chicken, and rice every night!
Have a great nite. Julie
Hi! On day 5, Jackson did the stairs. We've got 13 of them. He went slowly! I was there, ready to hold him or prop him up, but he did them slowly and carefully. It was so sweet, heart-melting, actually. Between that and when he finally got onto the couch, he was a happy guy! Oh my, you could see the pride in his face as he did those things. Every little step back to normal, Jackson felt better.
Maybe what might help Brody (and you?) is to let him try those things, esp since he's getting his staples out tomorrow. Are the stairs carpeted? Does he express interest (now that he's not stoned outta his mind!) in going upstairs to his fav place? If so, try it! Take it slow. Congratulate, try not to hover too much.... Getting Brody back to his normal spots and routines may continue to help!
~ Katy & Jackson
ps: Jackson loves it under our kitchen table too. It's his fort! The chairs are all put aside and a dog bed resides under the table. Ummmm....where do you think we eat most our meals? NOT at that table! That's Jackson's fort!
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
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